Following on from the recent article entitled ‘The Shame of Coercive Conversion: Ms. Ji-In Gu’ that brought to light the murder of a 25-year-old woman in Hwasun, South Korea, global awareness of the heinous practice of coercive conversion and citizens’ pleas for advocacy for the enactment of a law banning coercive conversion in the Republic of Korea is being gradually achieved. Memorial services for Ms. Gu – second victim to the practice of coercive conversion in South Korea - have been held in several countries including Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. On 10th of February, 1000 secondary school students in Philippines held a memorial service and participated in a protest calling for a ban of the practice. This was followed by a memorial service and rally 6000 miles away in Berlin exactly one week later.
Although
the success of the Olympic “Peace
Games” has helped foster greater peace discussions between North and South Korea, the South Korean government seems to be turning a blind eye to the plea made by 120,000 citizens in
Seoul and other major cities on 28th of January 2018 calling for a ban on coercive conversion programmes.
Although Article 20 of the Constitution of South Korea,
entitled ‘Freedom of Religion’, clearly states that “all citizens enjoy the freedom of religion”, the reality is that
there are currently 1300 victims of coercive conversion in Korea alone; half of
whom have experienced physical abuse for having refused to renounce their
beliefs. Why should
someone have to live in fear of their life because of their belief? Who granted
these so-called ‘Christian pastors’ the authority to kidnap, tie, beat and
murder people? As one member of
the public in Berlin put it, “if we
ignore the acts of coercive conversion in Korea, it is like killing the victims
a second time”. Indeed, this is the reality of what is taking place in 21st century Korea.
What is perhaps most frightening of all is the fact that coercive conversion programmes have been established and implemented by the country’s leading Christian authority - ‘The Christian Council of Korea’ (CCK). Its teachings are rooted in John Calvin, who put thousands of men, women and children to death, and it worshipped Japanese gods during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945). Moreover, the CCK prevented both the erection of the monument of the Declaration of Reunification of North and South Korea and the creation of a large-sized handprint Korean flag, as well as numerous volunteer works. Is this how a country’s leading religious authority should act in 2018? How would we in the UK respond if a leading Christian establishment committed such actions? The CCK needs to turn from its ways and put an end to its money-making coercive conversion programmes that exploit people and impede one's human rights on a basic level. Moreover, the President and judicial authorities need to respond to the plea of its own people. Let’s hope that the signature campaign calling for an end to coercive conversion programmes that began on 9th of January 2018, after the death of Ms. Gu, continues to gather momentum so that justice can be fully administered.
Highlights of the memorial services and rallies:-
Advocacy for the Enactment of
the Law against Coercive Conversion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEmMXrOVxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcEmMXrOVxc
Memorial of Ms. Ji-In Gu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S32VGFyxiug
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S32VGFyxiug
The Fight Against Coercive
Conversion Programmes
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